


It's A Match! (Tinder AU)

by propertyofpoeandbucky



Series: Chubby!Bucky Series [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, chubby!bucky, chubby!bucky barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:42:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28228596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/propertyofpoeandbucky/pseuds/propertyofpoeandbucky
Summary: You’re back home for Spring Break and you’re swiping through Tinder in the middle of the night. You come across the profile of your high school history teacher that you may or may not have had a slight crush on. Throwing impulse control out the window, you swipe right. Lo and behold, you’re shocked to find that you matched.
Relationships: Bucky Barnes & Reader, Bucky Barnes & You, Bucky Barnes/Reader, Bucky Barnes/You, James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes & You, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/You
Series: Chubby!Bucky Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067906
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

Being back home for spring break was nice. Your friends from college all asked you to come along their spring break camping trip, but you just weren’t in the mood. You were tired of the socializing and partying. You just wanted to lazy about and not have to worry about social interaction. 

Instead, you decided to come home, hang out with your family and just relax. So that’s what you’re doing. While your friends are drinking White Claws by the lake, you’re in your childhood room, watching Netflix on your laptop, and swiping through tinder at two in the morning. You weren’t taking it seriously. Just swiping through to see what kind of options your area gave.

Then you saw it, well, him.

“No, fucking way,” you murmured to yourself. You tapped onto the profile and it expanded. 

Bucky, 37 years old. 

I’m recently divorced and new to this whole online dating thing so bear with me here. I like to think that I’m a decent guy, but who knows? 

I’m a fairly open book. Let’s just chat and see what happens. 

You continued to swipe through his pictures and they confirmed it. Bucky was actually your former history teacher in high school. You remember having a slight crush on him when you had his class senior year because of how cute and geeky he was. And you do recall him being married, but it’s been five years since you last saw him. A lot can happen within that time frame. 

“Hmmm….,” your thumb hovered over your screen, staring at a picture of your former teacher wearing a dress shirt that hugged his body, showing off his thick arms and round belly. And then, by impulse, you swiped right, “Fuck it.”

It’s a Match! your screen read and your eyes widened. 

“Holy fucking shit!” you quietly exclaimed, not wanting to wake up your parents. Your clasped your hand over your mouth and screamed. You just matched with your former history teacher. What do you do?!

Bucky: Hi. :)

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! What do you do?!

You don’t want to ignore him! He’s nice! 

Bucky: This is kinda awkward, isn’t it?

You couldn’t help but snort and then typed out your response.

You: Hi.

You: Yeah, a little bit. I’m guessing you remember me?

Bucky: Yeah. You were one of the few seniors that I didn’t dislike. 

You: Gee thanks. :’)

Bucky: You’re welcome. 

Bucky: Can’t sleep?

Oh. So looks like he wants to keep talking to you. Do you continue? Well…

You: Not really. I’m used to staying up late. Because of school work and all that, ya know?

Bucky: I hear ya. Been way too many nights I’ve stayed up late grading papers and writing up lessons. 

Bucky: Don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you on tinder? 

You: What do you mean?

Bucky: You’re a smart and beautiful girl. Didn’t take you as an online dating kind of person. 

You: Convenience really. Too busy with school and work to go out to meet people. What about you?

Bucky: Same.

Bucky: Steve, well, as you know him as Mr. Rogers, has set me up on dates and stuff, but they never go past the first date. Sam, aka Mr. Wilson, suggested to make a tinder account and here I am. Talking to one of my former students that I matched with. 

Bucky: What even is my life anymore?

You chuckled to yourself, shaking your head and typing out a response:

You: Wow. And I thought we were having a good conversation. ;P

Bucky: We are!

Bucky: I didn’t mean it like that!

Bucky: Shit, I just

Bucky: Things are kind of going downhill for me. I guess…I don’t know. 

Bucky: I’m lonely?

You: I understand 

You: And to be honest, I don’t take this app very seriously. But I understand where you’re coming from and what you’re going through. 

You: If you ever need to talk, I’m here Mr. Barnes.

Bucky: Please, call me Bucky. We’re both adults here and I’m not your teacher anymore. 

Bucky: And thank you, Y/N. 

Bucky: Anyway, I should probably go to bed now. Don’t stay up too late!

You: [salutes] Yes, sir!


	2. Chapter 2

Bucky sat in the cafe marking up papers and occasionally glancing at his phone. He, surprisingly, woke up to a “good morning” message from you, wishing him a good day. Ever since then, he’s been in high spirits. 

Steve sighed, settling into the chair across from Bucky, placing his new cup of coffee to the side, “What’s with the smile?”

“Hm?” Bucky looked up, his expression similar to a deer caught in headlights, “What smile?”

“The one you had when you smiled at your phone.”

“Oh, uh…” he leaned back in his chair, hands intertwined and resting on the mound of his stomach, “I-I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know if I should tell you this or not.”

“Buck, it’s me. Come on. What’s up? Is it a woman?” Steve suddenly got excited, “Did you meet someone?”

“…not exactly,” he murmured a curse under his breath and ran a hand over his face, “Okay. Don’t freak out but…I got matched with one of our former students on Tinder last night.”

Steve’s eyes widened and in a low tone, he muttered, “You’re fucking kidding me.”

Bucky shook his head, picking up his phone and pulling up your profile and the conversation you had, “See?” While Steve looked through your profile and the messages, Bucky continued to speak, “We’re just chatting. Nothing serious. We’re…friends? I guess?”

“Hm…just…be careful, alright? I don’t want either of you to end up hurt somehow.”

Bucky nodded, taking back his phone, “Of course, Steve. I’ve just been lonely is all. And Y/N’s good company. We’re just friends.”

_____________________

Bucky: So….

You: You did something didn’t you?

Bucky: It’s nothing bad! I promise!

Bucky: I just told Steve that we matched on here and started chatting.

You face palmed when you read that.

You: …how’d he take it?

Bucky: Well, I guess. I told him that we’re just chatting as FRIENDS. You’re not looking for something serious and I could use some company. That’s all. 

You: So we’re friends?

Bucky: If that’s okay with you?

You: Of course! Totally okay with being friends, Bucky. Anyway, how’s your spring break been?

Bucky: Grading, lesson planning, eat, sleep, repeat. Hbu?

You: You know what hbu means? lol.

Bucky: I’M NOT THAT OLD, Y/N.

You: I’m kidding! Geez! Don’t get your diapers in a twist.

Bucky: HEY!

You: KIDDING AGAIN!

You: Anyway, just relaxing at home, wandering around town and such. I could be camping with my college friends, but decided to pass. Figured getting drunk around a large body of water wasn’t a good idea. 

Bucky: Smart girl. So that means you’re back in town?

You: Yup!

Bucky: Would it be okay for us to meet and chat over coffee or something?

Bucky: If you want! If that’s too weird then we don’t have to.

You: I’m down! You free tomorrow? I was planning on going to the farmer’s market in the morning. We can meet up afterwards. 

Bucky: I’m actually going to the farmer’s market too. How about we meet up there?

You: Sounds like a plan!

It’s just a friendly outing, Y/N. Don’t get too nervous. Sure, he’s your former teacher that you had a small crush on, but he’s your friend now. You said you didn’t want anything serious. Don’t catch feelings. Whatever you do. DON’T. CATCH. FEELINGS.


	3. Chapter 3

You were dressed in black leggings, a tshirt, and a denim jacket. It wasn’t very cold. The sun was up, providing warmth and a soft breeze blowing through. You roamed around the farm where the market was held. You had a basket in hand and your phone that had list of things you needed to buy, provided by your parents. 

A notification then popped up from tinder. You tapped on it and immediately smiled when you saw that Bucky messaged you. 

Bucky: Just arrived to the farmer’s market. Are you already here?

You: Yup! Right next to the fuji apples!

Right when you pick up an apple, you hear a, “Hey,” which startles you to the point you drop the apple.

“Ah jeez. Sorry!” Bucky picks up the apple and then sets it back on the stand, “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

You turn to face him and give him a soft smile, “It’s okay. But hi! Good morning! It’s good to see you!” you step forward, wrapping your arms around him in a hug. 

He chuckles and hug you back, “Good morning. Good to see you too. See you got started already,” he gestures to your basket, “Got a long list?”

You shrug, “Not much. Just some fruits and veggies that my parents wanted me to get. What about you? Have anything in particular you need to get?”

“Some potatoes, bell peppers, asparagus. Some fruits too, I suppose.” he murmurs, stuffing his hands into his pockets and follows you as you pick out more apples. 

“Sounds like you’re on your way to making something delicious,” you shoot him a grin as you place three apples into your basket. 

Bucky then grabs his own basket and picking his own apples. He shrugs, “I have some steaks that need to be cooked. Figured those would pair nicely with the vegetables.”

“Ooohh! Yes. Those sound amazing!”

He nervously licks his lips, “Wanna come by tonight? I can cook for ya.”

You give him a sorry expression, “Not tonight. I promised my parents I’d help make dinner tonight with them. Hence why I’m out getting the groceries. I’m free tomorrow? That is, if you’re not sick of my company by the end of today.”

Bucky grins, looking down at his shoes shyly, “Don’t think that’ll happen any time soon.” his words had quite the effect on you, causing butterflies to erupt in your belly and making your heart soar. But you’re only friends! Calm down!

______________

After you two continued to chat and pick out your groceries, you put everything in your respective vehicles. Bucky told you to meet him at the new cafe that opened up across town and you proceeded to follow him. 

He was already waiting outside for you and led you inside, “Wow. When did this place open up?” you looked around. The walls painted white, plants hanging from the walls. Local artists’ artwork hung around everywhere you look. It was very modern chic. 

“Maybe a few months ago? This has become my new favorite place to do work when I don’t feel like being at home. They have some pretty good food here too.” 

He stood in line and you right next to you. He watches as you stare up at the menu, your lips pursed and brows furrowed with concentration. You looked absolutely adorable. 

“What do you recommend? I’m not too picky.” you look at him curiously. 

“Hmmm…are you looking for something sweet or savory?”

“Sweet.”

“Then the crepes are good choice. I like the banana and strawberry crepe with chocolate syrup.”

Your eyes immediately lit up hearing that, “That sounds so good! I think I’ll have that!”

Bucky grinned and chuckled, “Okay, so do you want anything to drink?”

“Hmmmm…” you read the menu and zero in on their latest creation, “That tiramisu latte sounds amazing.”

He snickered, “You got a sweet tooth, don’t ya?”

“You have noooo idea, Bucky! Back at school at the apartment, I have a stash of candy in our kitchen that says ‘Y/N’s Candy. Don’t touch.’ and everyone knows to always ask me if they can have some of my stash.” you say this all with a smirk. 

“What about you? You like sweets?”

“Every once in a while. I’m more of a savoury person, myself. Their ham and cheese crepe is pretty good and my personal favorite.”

When you get to the front of the line, Bucky says his order, following yours and pulling out his card quicker than you could blink. You frown at him when you both grab a table, “I was going to pay, Bucky.”

“I asked you to hang out, Y/N. It’s only fair that I pay.” he softly smiles at you as he sits in the chair across from you. 

As you and Bucky continued to talk, Bucky found himself completely focused on you. On how you spoke, what you spoke about, the mannerisms that you do. Everything about you was so cute and end-No. Stop it. Friends, Bucky. Just friends. 

He needed friends. He just got divorced. It’s too soon to jump into another relationship. Just enjoy your company and don’t let your feelings get involved. Just. Friends. 

_________________

It’s almost 3pm by the time you and Bucky have decided to part ways. He accompanies you the short distance to your car, again, looking adorable while he stuffs his hands into his pockets and looking completely shy, “Thank you, again, for agreeing to meet up. It’s been a while since I’ve been in someone else’s company that wasn’t Sam or Steve. I love the guys but they’ve been hovering a lot since the divorce process started.”

You reach out, grabbing Bucky’s hand from his pocket and lightly squeezing it, “Bucky, I’m telling you right now that I’ll be here whenever you need me. I’m just a text or call away. Sure, I won’t be here-here after break is over, but you can still hit me up to talk. That being said, gimme your phone so you can have my number.”

“Smooth,” he said teasingly and handed you his phone. He watched as you typed in your name and number, then handing it back to him, “So I’ll see you tomorrow?”

You nodded, pulling him in for a hug, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” and then, out of impulse, you leaned in and pecked his cheek, “Bye Bucky.”

He croaked out a “Bye,” and watched as you got into your car and drove away, his fingers, grazing along his cheek where you kissed him.


	4. Chapter 4

He remembers feeling this way, this sense of adoration and domesticity. Yet, this time around, it feels wrong. 

Every once in a while, Bucky will look over his shoulder from the stove to glance at you, at the island counter, chopping away at the vegetables he bought from the farmer’s market. 

Every time he looked your way, you’d glance up and smile at him. Then he’d feel that fluttering in his stomach. 

You were his student, one of his best. Now you’re his friend, a companion, someone to help him through the loneliness that he’s been feeling since the divorce started and finalised. 

You walked over to him, veggies chopped and ready to be cooked, “All done!” 

You handed the bowl over to him and when he grabbed it, his hand grazed over yours. He paused for a moment, looking at you for any reaction, but you continued to smile. 

He set the bowl on the other side of the stove, “Thanks, doll!” he said, realizing too late that the pet name slipped out. 

You don’t say anything concerning the name. You just smiled and exclaimed, “You’re welcome!”

You leaned against the counter watching Bucky cook, “Smells amazing. Looks amazing. Ugh, I’m so hungry!”

He laughed and poked your side, “It’ll be done soon. Be patient.” 

You hummed, hopping onto the counter beside the stove and settling, “A great personality, good looks, can cook. How has someone not snatched you up as soon as the divorce settled?”

Bucky nervously chuckled, “I, uh, well…not a lot of people see me like that. So I suppose that’s why.”

“They’re blind then,” you said confidently. 

He then replayed what you’d said and then spoke up, “You think I have good looks?” You nodded like it was an obvious thing, “Really? You think all this,” he gestures to himself, “Is attractive?”

You snorted, “Bucky, when I was in high school, I had a crush on you.”

“Why?”

“You’re cute! And I liked how passionate you got about history, especially when you banged your fist against the podium for emphasis on things. Not gonna lie, that was kinda hot.” you then noticed the tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks and you suddenly apologized, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable!”

He shook his head, “No, no. Y/N, it’s fine. It’s-It’s nice to hear that.” he cleared his throat, “Well, uh, the steaks are about finished. You go ahead and set the table, while I finish up on the vegetables?”

“Sure thing!” you hopped off the counter, but you land a bit weird, “Ah!” you yelp falling backward, but at the same time, Bucky goes over to catch you. However, you proceed to pull him down with you, causing him to land on top of you, while you land on the floor. 

“Are you okay?!” he asked with a deep concern in his eyes. 

You grunted, “Yep. That wasn’t very graceful, was it?”

He snorted, “Not at all, doll.” that’s when he realized how close he was to your face, to your lips. In the heat of the moment, throwing impulse control out the window, like he seems to do whenever you’re around, he presses his lips to yours. 

A miniscule thought crossed your mind, telling you to push him away, but a bigger part of you told you to kiss him back. So you did. 

Your lips moved and melded with each other’s. At some point, his tongue slipped through your slips and a moan escaped from you, bringing Bucky back to reality. 

He pulled back, a sudden look of regret in his eyes, “No.” he scrambled up and away from you, “No, that-that wasn’t supposed to happen. I-I shouldn’t have done that. We’re-We’re friends and I just ruined it by kissing you! You’re my student and I kissed you!”

You sigh, getting up to your feet, “Bucky, hey, listen to me,” you walk over to him, grabbing his face to make him look at you, “It’s okay.”

“But-”

“Two things. One, you didn’t ruin everything. As I recall, I kissed you back, so it wasn’t unwanted. Two, I’m not your student anymore. I’m an adult and so are you.” you sighed, stepping back and letting go of his face, “Bucky, be honest with me. Do you like me more than a friend?”

“I-well, I-kinda? Yes? I don’t know. I don’t know if my feelings are real or if it’s because I’m just really lonely.” he sighed, “I don’t want to hurt you, Y/N.”

You softly smiled, nodding in understanding, “It’s okay, Bucky. But I do like you…as more than a friend. I know I said I didn’t really want a relationship, but I don’t know. These past few days talking to you and spending time with you have been nice. But if we were to go forward with this, there’s also the fact that break is almost over and I’ll be going back to school. If we wanted to make this work, we’d have to deal with the distance. This is…a lot.”

He nodded, “Yeah. It is and…I really don’t know what to tell you, Y/N. I’m sorry.”

You shook your head, “Don’t be, Bucky. I think we both have some things to think about. If you want, I could leave?”

“No! Please don’t. Can-Can we just go back to dinner? Just for a little bit, we can forget about all this and just enjoy dinner like we were suppose to?”

“Whatever you want, Bucky.” you then grabbed the settings, plates, and utensils off the island counter and proceeded to set the table; leaving Bucky to continue cooking and think about what just happened.


	5. Chapter 5

The dinner was a bit awkward. You two sat across each other eating in an awkward silence. 

After maybe ten minutes of this, you shook your head, setting your utensils down, “Okay, I really do think we should talk about this. This silence is just too much.”

Bucky swallowed his food and sighed, setting his utensils down and wiping his mouth on his napkin, “Okay. Okay.” he pushed his food out of the way, resting his arms on the table, “So…what now?”

You pushed your own food to the side, mimicking his position, “If we were to pursue…whatever this is, it’d have to be long distance. How do you feel about long distance?”

Bucky huffed out and leaned back in his chair, “Well, I’m no stranger to it. Dot and I, we were high school sweethearts. We didn’t go to the same college so we talked on the phone, visited each other when we could. So I’m used to stuff like that, but it’s a little bit more easier now with how technology and social media works.”

“So you’re okay with it?” you asked in clarification. 

He nodded, “Yeah, are you?”

“Yeah. Another thing…age gap.”

“Uh huh….?”

“You’re a little over ten years older than me, Buck. People talk and they’ll probably say really nasty things about you and I. Are you ready to handle that?”

He shrugged, “People say shit about me all the time. Doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. We’re both consenting adults, we’re having an adult conversation about all of this. It doesn’t matter what people say about our relationship. The only people that matter in this is you and I.”

“Okay, so we’re pretty much on the same page then,” you let out a breath of relief, feeling the weight on your shoulders dissipate.

“I have a question,” Bucky spoke up. When he received a nod from you, he continued, “Are you really okay with,” he gestured to himself, “all of this?”

“Bucky-”

“I know you said it before, but I just-I don’t know. What if you find someone better looking than me and you realize I’m not what you want?”

“Not gonna happen,” you said confidently. 

“But-”

“Bucky, I told you, how you look is perfectly fine to me. “

“Okay,” he said softly and then sighed, “So where do we go from here?”

You leaned back in your chair, arms crossed over your chest, “I go back to school in two days. I guess….we just make the most out of it while we can,” you gave him a soft smile and Bucky felt his worries melt away. Your eyes were filled with so much ease and confidence, he just knew that things were going to be okay. 

_________________

3 Months Later

“Babe,” you whispered, earning a groan from Bucky. 

“Five more minutes,” he whined, turning over to face away from you. 

You giggled, scooting closer to him, face nuzzling into the back of his neck, arm draped over him with your hand grazing over his bare stomach, “We have to get ready.”

“Too early,” he murmured, “Sleep more.”

“The farmer’s market is opening soon,” you poked at his stomach and proceeded to roll out of bed, Bucky’s bed. 

Before you got to far, Bucky grabbed hold of you, pulling you back into bed, “Get back here,” your body was flushed against his. 

“Mornin’, doll,” he gives you an adorable, tired smile.

You giggled, kissing his chest, “Morning, Buck.”

His fingers grazed along your cheek, “I still can’t believe you’re mine. You’re so perfect,” he whispered so lovingly.

You hummed, leaning into his touch, “Can you believe it’s already been three months of us being together?”

“Feels like longer,” he rasped out. 

“Yeah?” you asked with a grin.

He nods, “Yeah, in a good way. I just-I haven’t felt this way in a long, long time. I’m glad I get to feel this way again.”

“Who’d have thought I’d fall for my former high school teacher?”

He chuckled, “Well, I certainly didn’t. But I’m glad you did.”

“Me too,” you whispered, reaching up to press a gentle kiss to his lips, “Looks like tinder did a good job.”

Bucky nodded, his arms around you tightening as he relished in his embrace, “Yeah, guess it did.”


	6. Extra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked: OK BUT BABE! who swiped first? was it bucky? what was it like for him when he came across her profile?

After Sam helped Bucky set up Bucky’s tinder profile, he was left to his own devices. 

“Holy crap…,” he murmured to himself, completely overwhelmed by all the different types of women he was encountering. 

There were women of all types of ages from all types of locations. Sam had showed him how to change his preferred age range and location setting, but he just left it at that. 

He continued to swipe through women, looking at their pictures, reading their bios, and deciding whether he was interested in them or not. He swiped left on a lot of women, very few were swiped right. 

Then he saw you. 

“Holy…” he remembered you. You were one of seniors in his history class and, honestly, one of his favorites. You were sweet and smart and cute. But seeing you now, you grew up to be very beautiful. 

He tapped on your profile and read through your bio:

Not sure what I’m looking for, but maybe I’ll find it here. 

I’m [insert your height here] and I love dogs/cats. Food is the way to my heart, just so ya know. 

Let’s chat!

He could see your personality spilling into your bio and a soft smile appeared on his face. He then looked through your pictures, all of which were a mix of cute, coy, and a little bit sensual. He gulped when he landed on a picture of you in a rather….revealing type of outfit. 

He went back and his thumb paused over your profile. 

Does he swipe left or right? Wouldn’t it be weird? You used to be his student, but it’s been five years since you graduated. You’ve grown up a lot since then. 

“Whatever,” he murmured as he swiped right and then he continued his exploration through the dating app. 

It’s a day later, late at night, that he receives a notification that he matched with you.


End file.
